In a stunning and controversial twist, former President Donald Trump, never one to shy away from bold assertions, recently took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of “switching” her identity to curry favor with the Indo-American community. But also, that Harris has herself been selectively emphasizing her Indian roots as election season is heating up. That seems hard to believe, at the very least, about an American politician who has loudly celebrated her Black and South Asian heritage throughout her campaign career. While it should raise eyebrows to consider it, Trump’s claims get at a question that’s become central in the age of identity politics: Where do allegiance, authenticity, and political pragmatism meet?

The Identity Balancing Act

Kamala Harris often discusses her robust heritage. While her mother is an Indian immigrant, her father was born in Jamaica. She would often take trips to the Indian family she was part of that lived in Chennai, India. At the same time, though, her identification as a Black woman has, of course been equally indelible and immensely resonant with Black Americans and all sorts of minorities. This duality has been both a strength and, according to Trump and his supporters, a “convenient” tool she allegedly wields depending on her audience.

Trump, in that characteristic no-holds-barred style, recently went so far as to intimate that Harris’s increasing outreach to the Indian-American community could be seen as something of a pander as opposed to actual representation. “Does Kamala know where she’s from today?” he asked his base at a rally, flashing that characteristic smirk that has been both captivating and infuriating to his base and critics alike. “One day she’s African-American, the next she’s Indian-American. What’s next-she’s Irish, maybe?”

Pandering or Proud Heritage?

Of course, identity in American politics is hardly a new question. The job of politicians has been to tailor messages to various communities for so long now that it’s almost codified in the job description. But Harris’s combination of cultures puts her precisely in the crosshairs, making her an easy target for those who want to argue that her mixed cultural background is more strategic than personal.

Harris is something monumental for the Indian-American community. For millions of immigrants and their children, Kamala Harris is the embodiment of the American dream – as the first woman, the first Black, and the first South Asian Vice President of the United States. And yet, the accusation by the Trump camp remains a reminder of the narrow lens through which multiculturalism is still often viewed in the political realm. To Trump, Harris’s attempts to connect with her South Asian heritage “sounds too much like an act.”

The Battle for the Indo-American Vote

The looming 2024 election is forcing the two parties to pull all stops to court the vote of the growing and now increasingly politically active Indo-Americans. Trump has also done his best to win the Indian-American voter, specifically holding rallies with slogans such as “Abki Baar Trump Sarkar.” As such, his attack on Harris may be taken as a calculated move against her credibility before this electorate.

Trump charges Harris with pandering on one hand and positions himself to pander on the other. It is pure political theater at its finest, revealing the identity-driven courtship that has become the hallmark of American politics.

The Real Issue: Politics in the Age of Identity

By attacking Harris’s dual heritage, Trump is actually drawing attention to the way that identity is shifting in American politics. For some, Harris’s cultural background is an asset, proof of America’s diversity. For others, it is a liability that raises questions of sincerity and loyalty. Can politicians connect with multiple communities without being accused of “identity shopping”? Or are we setting a standard where authenticity is measured by exclusivity?

At its core, this is not just about Harris or Trump-it’s about a country trying to reconcile its multicultural values with the inherent need to belong to a single identity. The lines are blurred, and politicians like Harris are navigating uncharted waters.

The Takeaway

Trump’s attack on Kamala Harris’s identity may be a strategic attempt to portray her as less authentic, but it illuminates the very nature of American identity. As the 2024 race gathers steam, the debate will continue on who we are, where we belong, and whether identity is negotiable. And just as Trump swings from his signature, likewise will Harris stand grounded in herself: Indian, Black and American to remake the politics space for this multiculturalist America of tomorrow.